"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musicalSweet Charity, first performed in 1966. Peggy Lee was the first artist to record the song for her album of the same name also that year. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess girls; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse for the Broadway musical and the 1969 film. It is set to the beat of a striptease as the girls taunt the customers.
A hit version of the song by Shirley Bassey reached #21 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1967. This version is featured in the 2004 filmThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers, and in the 2005 film Nynne. The song has become one of Bassey's signature songs. She has performed the song numerous times, most notably for the 80th birthday of Prince Philip. She also sang it at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival. In December 2007, it was re-released in a new remixed version as a digital download. This was the third and final single released from the album Get the Party Started. The single features a remix from Pink Pound and two instrumental remixes that were not included on the album release. Unlike the previous two singles this track featured a remix of a previous released recording, the vocal track was taken from a session recorded in 1984 for the album I Am What I Am. There was no promotion undertaken for the single and no video was made to support the release.
Track listing
Big Spender
Dangerous Game
Other versions
Recorded versions
Peggy Lee, who recorded the song in 1966. Her rendition became a hit on the US Easy Listening chart in that year.
The Ritchie Family, disco version from their 1978 album "American Generation"
Skepta raps over a grime remix of Theophilus London's version.
Dee Snider with Cyndi Lauper, In the album "Dee does Broadway" which was released in 2012
Live performances
In the late 1970s Tom Waits often used to perform "Big Spender" as a medley with the song "Small Change".
Queen performed it Live at Wembley Stadium on July 12, 1986, and also performed it live in the early 1970s, including the concert recording, A Night at the Odeon.
The Pussycat DollsDoll Domination Tour that started in 2009, featured Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt dancing "Big Spender", following by a performance by Melody Thornton.
Seal performed it in his Leopard disguise on the 2019 season of The Masked Singer.
Parodies and alternate lyrics
The song appeared in Muriel Cigar commercials in the 1970s, sung by Edie Adams. A modified version of the tune entreated the viewer to "...spend a little dime with me", referring to the price of a Muriel Cigar.
In the "Two Bad Neighbors" episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson performed the song at a yard sale with new lyrics to reflect the merchandise he is promoting.
In the Discworld Noir computer game the 'Troll Saphire' performed a parody of "Big Spender", with the opening lyrics as "The minute you walked through the wall, I could tell that you were a troll of destruction"
In the "Viva Mars Vegas" episode of Futurama, a parody version is played of "Big Spender", with the lyrics as "Hey Rich Lobster", when Dr. Zoidberg shows up at a casino on Mars with millions of dollars to spend and lose.
A controversial video with flight attendants entreating an elite frequent flier made news in February 2019, generating protest from the flight attendants' union.
Samples
The 2007 single "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" by Freeway featuring Jay-Z samples Helen Gallagher's version of the song.
The 2012 single "Big Spender" by Theophilus London and ASAP Rocky samples Peggy Lee's rendition of "Big Spender".
Television and film appearances
During the animated opening credits of The Pink Panther Strikes Again, animator Richard Williams has a lineup of Pink Panthers in a parody of the hostess girls' staging; Henry Mancini quotes "Big Spender," seguing seamlessly into the "Pink Panther Theme."
In Hou Hsiao-hsien's 1987 film Daughter of the Nile, the song plays twice from Lin Hsiao-fang's restaurant.
In National Lampoon's European Vacation, Ellen Griswold performs "Big Spender" with exotic dancing while Clark videotapes it.
In "Dream On", a season 1 episode of Glee, a woman auditioning for Les Misérables sings this song. The song was performed again on the season 3 premiere "The Purple Piano Project" by Sugar, a student who can't sing.
The song was sung by Ellis on the first episode of The Glee Project.
In the Grounded for Life episode "Mrs. Finnerty, You've Got a Lovely Daughter", Sean gets the song approved for his daughter Lily to perform at her Catholic school talent show.
In the promo for The Client List, Jennifer Love Hewitt performs this song.
The song appears in the trailer for Johnny Depp's Mortdecai.
The first episode of Fosse/Verdon opens with the number.
